Contributed photo
An illegal alien jumps out of a Suburban as Karnes County deputies roll up to the scene of a bailout near Hobson. At least 35 people were taken into custody last week and later handed over to federal officers. See dashcam video from the bailout at mySouTex.com

A bailout happens whenever police approach a person or persons in a vehicle and instead of cooperating with police, they choose to bail out of their vehicle, often running into the nearby woods.

Such was the case on Wednesday, June 11 at about 10 a.m., when Karnes County deputies responded to a report of a vehicle blocking the roadway on State Highway 81 just west of Hobson.

As the deputies approached, 35 people who were later determined to be illegal aliens from the Honduras, either bailed out and ran for the woods or tried to escape in one of the two vehicles.

The illegals in the two Chevy Suburbans were mostly young people under the age of 21, some of which were dehydrated and malnourished.

Some of the 25 taken into custody were treated at Otto Kaiser Memorial Hospital before they were released to federal officers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Deputies responded to reports of other illegals in the same area later that night and also early the next morning, taking an additional 10 people into custody and later releasing them to federal officials.

Police suspect the several vehicles were all connected to one “coyote” -- the person who was paid to take the Hondurans to the United States. None of the people taken into custody had weapons of any kind.

The volume of reports of illegal aliens crossing through Karnes County is at an all time high now, according to Karnes County Chief Deputy Robert Ebrom, and the public is encouraged to call the sheriff’s office immediately if any are spotted passing through the area.